FG complies with international standards in deployment of ICT

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami yesterday declared that the Federal Government has complied with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standards in the deployment of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Nigeria.

He stated this via Skype in Abuja on the sidelines of the World Telecommunication Information and Society Day Celebration (WTISD-20), marked on May 17 every year.

At this year’s event with the theme: “Connect 2030: ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Abuja, the minister said government prioritised the deployment of ICTs in Nigeria to ensure safety, security and health of all Nigerians.

“This is our own priority whenever we deployed ICTs. There are ITU standards when it comes to deployment of ICTs. We always ensure that Nigerians followed the standards and regulations and that will go a long way in reducing or eliminating any perceived negative impacts,” he stressed.

Pantami stated that with the challenges of COVID-19 globally, government was promoting social distancing by leveraging on ICT, noting that government was carrying out most of its activities within and outside the offices through ICT.

He pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari’s strategy was more focused on ICT hence, he came up with the concept of Nigeria eGovernment Master Plan, Digital Economy, National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for digital Nigeria and implementation of the National Broadband Plan 2020-2025.

“These are the policies in place and we have started to implement them which is a clear indication that Nigeria now focuses more on ICT,” Pantami said.

Since 1969, the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is being celebrated worldwide, which marks the founding of ITU on May 17, 1865 when the first International Telegraph Convention was signed in Paris, France.

Meanwhile, ITU noted that with 10 years to go, UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, launched a ‘Decade of Action’ in January to deliver the SDGs by 2030, but the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of ICTs to economies and societies.

“It is showing the world that nobody is safe until we are all safe and that we will not be able to use the full potential of ICTs until we are all connected,” it said